Different Paths
by soggybizkit
Summary: One shot. Sasuke's POV. An alternate way the recent maga chapters sould have gone. Looking back Naruto seems a little weak. More of a Sasuke fan's fic.


I jump from tree to tree, making my way tirelessly and swiftly through the unfamiliar forest. Power courses through my veins of a kind which I have never felt before. This is why I'm joining him, this is why I'm abandoning my friends. Friends? Do I really mean that? Team mates no longer, do they mean anything to me? Do I care? I'm on my way to becoming strong enough to kill that bastard. Half my dream will be complete.  
  
I stop. Why am I running? That other guy is taking care of Naruto. I'll take my time. No sense in wasting chakra if I'm going to train immediately. So that's what I do, walk. Not that I know where I'm going. Something is pulling me forward. Instincts know best, so I follow them.  
  
After a while strolling in the same general direction, I hear a noise behind me. Someone is coming.  
  
"Sasuke!"  
  
Ugh, the idiot. Orochimaru must have some weak subordinates if Naruto can defeat them that quickly. I stop and wait for him. I will not run away from anyone. Period.  
  
His bright orange outfit bursts through the underbrush. What a dumb outfit. I've always thought so. So impractical. He looks to his left and scans the area, until his eyes fall on me.  
  
"Sasuke what the hell are you doing? Come with me, we're going back."  
  
"No, we're not."  
  
Who does this weakling think he is, speaking to me like that?  
  
"Sasuke, I don't know why you came, but don't make me bring you back unwillingly. C'mon, everyone's waiting."  
  
"And what would happen to me if I returned? You think Tsunade would welcome me into her arms and say that it's all OK? I became a missing-nin as soon as I left the village. There's nothing there for me now."  
  
"There's Sakura-chan."  
  
Sakura... why does she love me so much? It never really made sense. She's not a common fangirl, but she knows nothing about me. She can't understand why I must do this.  
  
"I don't think so. Sakura is fooling herself. Leave Naruto, or I'll make you."  
  
"Big talk from a boy who needs a seal to make him strong."  
  
I look at him blankly for a second, then laugh the hardest I ever have.  
  
"You think I don't know what lays inside you? Think back to when Itachi tried to kidnap you. That ugly shark guy gave away your Kyuubi secret while I was fighting Itachi. Now I know why you advanced so quickly, why you were able to defeat Gaara. Naruto, you're nothing without that fox. Face it. You and Gaara as well, nothing without your demons. Don't lecture me on taking the easy way out."  
  
His face is priceless.  
  
"Go on Naruto, draw that chakra from your pet. See how it measures up against me now."  
  
I cut loose, letting the newfound seal spread over my body. My hair lengthens and turns white, my muscles grow under my skin, and black marks cover my body. I leap at the pretender, dodging to the side at the last second. The failure can't even see my movements. Fool. I spin around and my foot connects with the back of his head. He flies toward a tree, but before he hits it I appear under him and kick him in the jaw, sending him soaring upwards. Still not content, I jump behind him and make my two obvious attacks, waiting for him to block so I could get my final kick in. But he doesn't block. Something is wrong. I activate my Sharingan. No, this is definitely Naruto, not some clone. Whatever. I execute my backhand punch, sending the failure earthbound. I finish by flipping over and kicking him in the stomach.  
  
"Lion Combo!"  
  
I jump to the side and allow Naruto to pick himself up. When he had erected himself, he cocked his head to the side and gave a grin. Kyuubification, as I like to call it. This was where the fight really began.  
  
He lunges with newly created fangs and claws. His speed greatly increases in this state, but he is still no match for me.  
  
"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" Ha! That catches him off guard. Does he really think I didn't know that technique? I've seen him use it more times than I can count. Activating my Sharingan one of the times was a simple enough matter.  
  
"Kanton: Ryuuka no jutsu!" I hit him with 7 huge bouts of flame, one from each of my shadow clones. We surrounded him, there is no way for him to dodge. The attack ceases, and as expected, his body lays smouldering in the centre of the circle my clones and I have formed.  
  
I drop on my hands and kick both my feet horizontally into the air. Naruto is flung backwards by the force of my blow. So, sneaking up behind me while a log burns in the place he should be. Pathetic. I dismiss my clones, they will not be needed.  
  
I turn and face Naruto. A look of worry spreads across his face. He discovers he's no match for me at close range. He will soon know that he's no match for me at any range.  
  
He makes feeble use of his weapons. He actually thinks I can't see the exploding tags on his kunai. That can soon be remedied. I pluck it out of the air as it's coming towards me and fling it back at him. If I ever see Lee again, I must thank him for his combat style. It has truly driven me to increase my speed. I feel as if I can do anything. Naruto sees it coming and jumps aside, only to charge headlong into my fist. He can't believe that I can move so quickly. I love this. Finally proving that I am better than fox-boy.  
  
He's contemplating. He's always been an up close fighter. It's the only way he has any chance. Shadow clones surround me, and I'm overcome by deja vu. I jump into the air and release gouts of flame onto the clones, knowing full well that we're having a repeat of the rooftop. But this time, I have a little trick. My Sharingan automatically copies jutsu. I don't have to consciously make an effort. I know how to use Rasengan. But to go head to head would result in both our deaths. I don't want Naruto dead. I want him to know that I am better than he is. To live with it.  
  
I drop to the ground. He charges at me, full speed. He still doesn't realise that he's to slow. He also doesn't seem to realise that I can tell that a clone is charging me. I drop and sweep with my leg, sending the real Naruto crashing into his clone. Hiding behind me does not do the trick.  
  
"Fool. That technique is far to slow to catch me."  
  
"Really?"  
  
Three more clones jump out of the undergrowth and catch hold of me. Naruto prepares his technique again as I struggle with his clones. He charges yet again and hits me in the stomach. Then he discovers that "me" is actually one of his clones.  
  
"Yes."  
  
I jump off the tree I have taken up residence in and run towards Naruto, hand chirping with raw chakra. It enters Naruto's stomach and comes out the other side. His clones disperse on instinct. I circle his body and pick him up by his jacket collar, bringing him to his knees. "Remember this defeat Naruto."  
  
Reason leaves my body and bloodlust consumes me. I change my mind. I want him dead. I raise my hand and gather chakra. If I hit him in the neck, he'll lose too much blood for the Kyuubi to save him. My hand falls, awaiting the impact soon to come.  
  
"Stop!"  
  
And for some reason, that's what I do. I look to where the voice came from. Sakura is standing there, tears streaming down her cheeks.  
  
"Please stop."  
  
I look down at Naruto. I have never seen him so afraid. He looks like he did the time the Demon Brothers attacked us on our first real mission. I let the chakra bleed off my hand and dropped Naruto in front of me. I turn towards Sakura.  
  
"Sasuke, please come back with us. Don't leave me again."  
  
I stared into her green eyes. They looked empty, a striking resemblance to mine when I look in the mirror. I walked over to her.  
  
"Please don't follow me. You don't understand."  
  
"Then teach me! You said yourself how horrible loneliness is, so fight it with me! You're not by yourself. All you have to do is tell us how we can help."  
  
I look up into the sky. It's grown dark. The stars are out. Something about them links back to her. I don't know how I feel about her, but I know why I won't try. Everything I held dear was taken from me once before, and I won't allow it to happen again. I will not let anyone get close, because then no one can take the people close to me away.  
  
"Move."  
  
She gasps and looks into my eyes. I realise that I've drawn the seal back in. That always seems to happen when she's around.  
  
"What?" I don't like seeing her like this. The left side of my chest hurts and I feel hollow. I walk close to her and position myself so that my mouth is next to her ear.  
  
"If I get close, it just gives everyone else the opportunity to take something away from me again. I embrace my loneliness. It protects me... and you. I must go. You may see me again, and maybe things will be different. Goodbye Sakura."  
  
I pull my head back. She's crying. I put my hand against her cheek and use my thumb to wipe the tears away.  
  
"Let this be the last time. Don't cry over me."  
  
She takes my hand and presses it harder against her face. I lean in and kiss her, and she kisses back. The feeling is... pleasant? No, more than that. But it can't last. I pull away and for the last time look into her eyes. My hand slides down her face to her neck. I give a pinch around the collar bone and she collapses, unconscious.  
  
"Believe me, you'll be happier this way."  
  
I turn and head off again. Time passes quickly as I reminisce on my time at Konoha. Not much of it is pleasant. Before I have a chance to realise it, I come to a clearing. Kabuto is standing in the centre.  
  
"This way, Sasuke-kun." 


End file.
